Living the 8 Limbs of Yoga is for sale here on the website in pdf and out in paperback on Amazon.
Read a section from the Intro:
Many people doing yoga have a vague notion there is some philosophy connected to yoga but may not be aware of specifics. The first chapter of this book reviews the first limb of yoga. It is a bit long because I detail each of the five moral, ethical and social disciplines considered the bedrock of yoga. These five (also called moral restraints) are the principles that help us all (not just priests) get along and thrive in a community. The first set of yoga disciplines, called yamas, are geared to restrain your negative impulses, to promote civilized behavior and move you along the path of yoga. Practicing these disciplines with your family, friends and the other people in your life will build your character and your community.
The second chapter of this book is dedicated to the second limb of yoga, which includes five daily habits also considered a necessary foundation for yoga. It is not enough to be principled and socially conscious, the second limb offers guidance on personal habits you will practice to clean up areas of your life you may have neglected. These habits are transformational and over time build strong character and change your life. The goal here for modern yogis is to develop positive lifelong habits that are as natural as brushing your teeth each day.
The third chapter you may find very familiar. Here I talk about the third limb of yoga, the postures. There are so many popular yoga posture styles and ways to approach the postures. There are athletic and sweaty styles of yoga. There is yoga done in a chair or a wheelchair. There are styles of yoga that are gentle and some therapeutic. Some are intense and some are easy. I will discuss where some of these popular styles originated and trust you will locate the best yoga style for your life, one that fits where you live and work.
The fourth chapter addresses the foundation of all yoga, the breath and the energy of life. There is no yoga without the breath. The fourth limb of yoga stresses the practice of breath awareness. The breath is central to all yoga practices, no matter which style of yoga. Like the many styles of yoga postures, there are many breathing techniques and exercises to select from for a yoga practice. These are personal to each yogi, can enhance a yoga practice and prepare the mind for meditation.
The fifth chapter addresses the five senses and our ability to control them. As we practice yoga we learn to withdrawal from the stimulation of all the sensory input coming in to our brains. We use the fifth limb techniques and practices to turn down the senses or even transcend them. By learning techniques and practices to turn down the firehose of information flooding our senses all day, we create what I call a bridge to meditation.
The sixth chapter addresses the sixth limb of yoga, concentration. We learn many techniques and practices in yoga to concentrate. This is also known as mindfulness or object meditation. In the sixth limb we always use an object of meditation to focus the mind and prepare for meditation. I will list some popular ones but there are hundreds to choose from.
The seventh chapter addresses yoga meditation, which is considered meditation without an object. This is the seventh limb of yoga and some consider the most difficult. Many of my students tell me this feels impossible to them. In this case we would go back and practice limbs one through six and see if that helps with the monkey mind that is often discovered in the seventh limb.
The eighth chapter discusses the final limb of yoga, known as bliss or peace. All the yoga practices prepare the body, mind and spirit for receiving peace and this limb is really the true definition of yoga. Everything before is just practice. In this state, the state of yoga, you will feel heavenly. You have probably had glimpses of this peace, joy and bliss in your everyday life. Practicing the 8 limbs of yoga stretches these moments out each day.
I designed this book so you can open it at any chapter and practice what feels right at that moment or do an activity to learn something new. Sometimes we need to clean up our habits to get our jobs done and sometimes we want to focus on breathing to eliminate stress. You may want to practice physical yoga one day and meditation another day. Some days you may just need to clean out the closet. It is all part of yoga practice, you can practice all day long. There is a chapter for each limb of yoga and space to write notes, doodle or draw. Keeping notes may be part of your practice each day. You will find that yoga is not just an exercise class once a week at the gym, but an elegant system for peace in your life.